Leaving
by The Atomic Cafe
Summary: Sequel to The Morning After. Remus and Mac exchange final words. Harry Potter, CSI: NY


**Leaving**

**By Dimgwrthien**

_Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY, Harry Potter, or affiliates or either._

"Who were they?"

Stella sat cross-legged in the warm armchair, her head tilted as she watched Mac pace across the room. They were in his apartment, letting the afternoon pass by as they spoke.

Mac didn't listen to Stella. He was still thinking over what Remus had told him the night before. "_We're both pushing them away to save someone._" He still felt his cell phone in his hand as he tried to call Stella, and he felt like an idiot because of it. Mac didn't know whether it was for not calling her or for even trying in in the first place.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking sideways at her.

"Who do you think they were?"

"Just people visiting New York."

She nodded, and Mac paused behind another chair. It felt like a stupid time, but when would he find a better one?

"Stella?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"

Mac looked out the window, seeing the shadows that the noon sun barely cast on the buildings. "How would you respond if I said I have something important to tell you?"

"Wha-" Stella stared at him, confused. "What kind of important? Something about a case?"

Mac rubbed the back of his neck. "Not quite." He looked her straight in the eye, then looked down slightly to stare at her nose. That was easier.

"What's going on?"

Mac circled around the chair and sat down. He was facing Stella there, but still a few feet away. "After you left, I was finishing up on the case…"

"I thought you said this wasn't -"

He silenced her by raising his hand a few inches. Stella watched him curiously.

"I met up with Remus after a little while, and we spoke about a few things." He looked at his hands. "I thought for a little while after, and I wanted to tell you something…"

Stella sat there, motionless, patient. Mac silently thanked her for not reacting yet, and he stood up to kneel in front of where she sat.

"I love you, Mac," she said quickly.

Mac took one of her hands, playing with her fingers. "Love you too, Stella."

Stella smiled, then started laughing. Mac looked up quickly, not sure whether to laugh with her or be offended.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm sorry." Stella tried to stop laughing, but her words were still choked. "It's just… I can't believe it took you talking to him to realize that."

He noticed that she was half-laughing, half-crying now, but she still looked amused.

"I noticed that a hell of a long time ago, and it took…" Stella started laughing harder, and she kissed Mac's cheek once, twice. "_That's_ why I love you."

_(gs)_

Mac stood outside the hotel he had been working in earlier. He didn't want to go inside, as tempting as it was to find Remus, but some part of him hoped Remus would find him first.

As he started to turn away, he found himself standing next to Remus. Remus smiled. "Detective," he greeted, nodding.

"Mac," Mac corrected again.

"Mac." Remus looked up to the top of the building. "How're you?"

"I took your advice." Mac watched Remus' profile and noticed that the man smiled.

"Really?" Remus raised his eyebrows as he turned back to Mac. "How'd that work out?"

Mac thought it over. "You know that feeling you get when you've worked up the courage to do something, and it ended up being the wrong thing?"

Remus looked away, and Mac could see that he was actually thinking it over. "Yes."

"That's how it went."

"What happened, if you don't mind my asking."

"I was about to… well, I don't know what I was about to do. But she told me she loved them, then started laughing and crying."

Remus smiled. "Sometimes we need to revert to our teenage selves in adulthood."

Mac sighed. "I could never understand female when I was a teenager, and apparently I haven't learned. She's never done that before. Hell, _Claire_ never did that before."

"Just look at it from her point of view. Someone she's known for over a decade is about to say they love you, and you've loved them the whole time."

Mac started to nod, then paused. "How do you know how long I've known her?"

Remus looked sharply at Mac, then shrugged as he seemed to calm down. "You just act like you've known her for a long time."

"Mm." Mac didn't look away from Remus, but he let the matter go. "I just feel like I did something wrong, though."

"Not unless she started slapping you." Remus smiled, and Mac had to join him. "Give her a little bit of time."

"I just don't understand why she's acting like this now. We've…" He trailed off.

Remus seemed to understand. "You've technically been together for a while, haven't you?"

Mac nodded.

Remus smiled again as he looked back up the top of the building, then back to Mac. "Come with me." He started to walk down the sidewalk, and Mac joined him.

"It's completely different to…" Remus motioned vaguely. "Kiss or… have sex with -"

Mac coughed quickly. Remus grinned.

"Well, it's completely different to be with a person and to actually be in love with them." He looked at Mac quickly. "I'm not saying you two didn't love each other. I'm not judging anyone. However -"

"There's that difference between telling them you love them and really being with them," Mac finished.

"Exactly." Remus stepped over a crack in the sidewalk as he started to smile.

Mac sighed. "You were right."

"About what?"

"Everything." Mac smiled and pushed his hands into his pockets. "I've loved her for years. Known her almost as long."

"She reminds me a bit of Tonks." Remus looked across the street. "It's hard to know her without loving her, isn't it?"

Mac nodded. He wanted to say something more, but it seemed to summarize everything for him. His phone rang.

"Sorry," Mac said quickly, pulling out his cell phone.

"Work?"

"Yeah." Mac hit a button. "Taylor."

Remus watched Mac as he stopped walking, listening intently to the other voice. Mac nodded a few times, responding shortly. He repeated back an address and hung up.

"I'm sorry," Mac said as he put the phone back in his pocket. "There's a -"

"Need to go?"

Mac nodded apologetically.

Remus smiled and nodded back. "Go ahead." He looked at his watch. "I need to head back soon, anyway. Tonks and I need to get back to Europe soon. You know what they say about the English being away from their home country too long."

Mac tilted his head. "What?"

Remus shrugged. "No clue. It just seems Americans have a saying for everything."

Mac laughed. "Well, Remus, thank you again -"

"No need."

Mac looked down at the ground with a small smile. "I just wish I could thank you someway."

Remus looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "After you finish with this case, I want you to take Stella out, do something nice with her. That'll be repayment."

"Alright." Mac grinned. "Sure."

"And I had nothing to do with this." Remus winked and put out his hand.

Mac shook it. "It was nice meeting you, Remus."

"You too. We'll manage to find each other again, I think."

"Maybe on your turf next time."

"Alright." Remus smiled. "Until then."

_(fd)_

"You amaze me." Tonks turned away from her unpacking to kiss Remus and held him tight. "You actually manage to tell those Muggles that much and never once mention anything about the Wizarding World?"

"I have a gift for it."

"I know." Tonks kissed his chin and grinned. "You'll have to show me how you do that sometime. I barely trusted myself in that city."

"I could tell. You were drunk half the time."

Tonks looked offended. "Not _that_ long."

"Pretty long, any way you look at it."

"Fine, fine." Tonks smiled again as she turned back to her closet. "Tell yourself that if you have to." She picked up a shirt and gave him a curious look. "You actually managed to get them together?"

"Not quite." Remus handed her a second shirt. "They already were, actually."

"Still." Tonks laughed quietly as she folded the shirts. "Ignore me for so long, and hook up couples the entire room."

"I'm sorry." Remus leaned forward and kissed her still-long hair. "Forgive me?"

"Only because they make a cute couple," she answered.


End file.
